Lines That Crossed
by Sakura no Kitsune
Summary: A Shaman shows up with a similar objective as Faust, but is willing to go much farther than he...can he talk some since into her?


Helteage: My first attempt…Hope it goes well! Yes there are OCs in here, but nothing horrible. And yes, I know I use Helteage in all of them, but it's my star one, and I really hate making up new characters (I haven't been in the creative mood in ages. I don't own Shaman King, but Helteage (Osai), Koujad, Zashi, Helios and Millennia all belong to me. Arkea and Pinian belong to him. Ammit and Osiris are Egyptian gods which of course I don't own either.

"Morty, is something wrong?"

The short boy looked up at the blonde who sat next to him, eating an ice cream cone.

"No, not really. I was just wondering…what the council is waiting for. You guys haven't had a fight in almost two weeks!"

"They probably want to see how far Zeke gets before they decide who we will face."

"Faust, aren't you worried about Zeke?"

"I suppose, but to me, he is just another obstacle in the way."

Morty grinned. "Yeah, I guess so. He doesn't seem so bad when you put it like that."

Faust smiled back. "Do you think Miss Anna is waiting for us?"

"I wouldn't doubt it. We should hurry up. It might mean extra training for you and Eliza."

Faust's eyes doubled in size. "Yes, we really should hurry back!"

"Mere mortals! You dare stand in the way of the gods!" A man held up an ankh. He wore white robes of elegance and wore an atef crown.

His partner wore similar clothing but he held a flail and crook.

Behind them was a person covered from head to toe in white silk. It was unknown what the gender of this person was because they were covered with several layers.

"What are you talking about? Some more crazy idiots, eh? Have too much to drink?" one young shaman asked, stepping up from his group.

"You dare insult the blood of the mighty Osiris? His heir stands here, an immortal shaman with the amazing powers over the dead! How would you like to be judged by the gods?"

"Oh, I'm so scared! Sure, let's see what you can do." He said cockily.

"Just know that should you fail, the goddess Ammit will consume your body and soul."

"Yeah, right." He muttered and grinned back at his friends.

"I will now judge you. There are two ways you can fail this test. One-" The one covered with the white silk stepped up and put one finger in the air. This person was clearly a woman by the sound of her voice. "-is if you answer the questions falsely. Two-" She put up her middle finger along with her index. "-would be if you answer truthfully and your intentions are selfish and greedy."

A pair of golden scales appeared, an eye symbol on the middle that held the two balance parts. She pulled a feather out from under her white silk and placed it on one side of the scale.

"The feather is from Ma'at, the goddess of purity and righteousness. Your heart will be weighed against it. I will ask three questions. With each one, the scale representing your heart will either go up or down. If it goes down, it means that your heart is heavier than the feather and you are not worthy to be Shaman King. However, if your heart is pure, it will be lighter than the feather and I will allow you to pass. If you fail, I will summon Ammit and she will devour you and your impurity with you. Are you sure that you wish to continue?"

Check the end for AN

The Shaman looked around nervously and then nodded. "You can't scare me with your hocus-pocus talk!"

Morty and Faust stood not far from the commotion in the street, Faust's eyes resting on the woman.

Yoh and the others came up behind them, Anna watching with deep interest.

"This is all just folklore." Len said.

"This is real. Just watch." Anna replied.

Yoh looked at her quizzically for a moment before turning back to the scene.

"Question number one, what was your purpose of joining the tournament?"

"So I could become Shaman King! What other reason do I need?"

The empty side of the scales dropped some.

"What! I answered truthfully!"

"Your reason was for power. A greedy and selfish reason. Question number two, why did you choose your guardian ghost?"

"Because Valefor is powerful and I knew he'd help me win!"

The scale dropped once more, about an inch from the ground.

"This test is cheap!" he shouted.

She ignored him and went on. "The final question. What do you plan to do should you win the Shaman Tournament?"

"I'll go and buy all the things I've ever wanted—I mean I would help out the poor and needy!"

The empty side hit the ground. "You lied on that last question. You failed." She raised her hand again and a black hole appeared in the middle. The scales soaked into it and a crocodile headed creature emerged. Its center was that of a lion and its hind legs were that of a hippopotamus.

"This is Ammit, the Devourer. She lays waste to the greedy and impure creatures that lay waste to this planet. It's been quite a while since I had last judged someone. I'm sure she is quite hungry…"

"Stop!" Faust stepped in, Eliza ready to attack, if need be.

"What is the meaning of this!" Demanded one of the men.

"Save your power for the Shaman matches! He did nothing wrong! Don't punish him and make him a part of your sick game!"

The young woman faltered.

"My Lady?"

"Ammit, return to your dark prison."

"What! You can't be serious! He's a mere mortal to you!"

"I'd like to go and rest now." She said, her voice considerably weaker than before.

The monster dropped back into the hole and the young woman's eyes kept their focus on Faust. "You are the Necromancer, correct?"

He nodded cautiously.

"A worthy opponent, I'm sure." She walked past the group that had gathered, everyone stepping aside to allow her past. The two guards followed after her, confused at her sudden change of heart.

"Wow, Faust, what made you do that?" Morty asked as he and the other shaman friends walked over to him.

"She didn't want to do it. I could see it in her eyes. If no one stopped her, she could have done more harm than just harming one shaman. I think I'm going to go back to the hotel." He took Eliza's hand and walked towards the hotel, a saddened expression on his face.

_I was like that once. Even though I fought for a good reason, I stepped on and destroyed others around me to get where I am today. Thanks to Miss Anna, I realize my wrongs and can work to correct them now._

"Is something wrong?" Eliza tilted her head.

"It's nothing. I'm just a little tired I guess." She nodded and smiled. "Then you should get some rest early tonight."

"I will."

THAT NIGHT

"Faust sure was acting weird." Trey commented.

"It's rare for a Necromancer to show off their power as openly as they did. It must have reminded him of back when he was bad." Morty concluded.

Amidamaru sighed. "We cannot have him distracted. Who knows if we will fight them in our matches? We cannot afford to lose."

"It might be best if we leave him out of the fight if that should happen." Ryu suggested.

"I'll be out for a little while. Eliza's upstairs." Faust walked by, putting his hat on.

After he exited the building, Jako spoke up. "Do you think he heard us?"

Yoh watched thoughtfully. "He needs time to think. We should just leave him be."

Anna stood. "I don't know about you, but I'm going to watch him."

"Why?"

"She left just a short while ago."

The others got her drift and hurried after him.

AT THE LAKE-THE KING OF SPIRITS HOME

A young woman with long white hair stood in the lake at waist deep. Her dark violet eyes kept watch on the energy flowing from the lake that was the King of Spirits. Her skin was a dark copper and she wore a black tank top.

"So, that's where you went." Faust stepped up behind her.

She turned sharply, surprise and fear written clearly on her face. "You are a stranger!"

"Is something wrong?"

"It is against the traditions of my people for a woman to reveal her skin to an outsider…"

"So that is why you were covered up…don't you think that someone would have seen you out here anyway?"

She looked to the water. "I came here to do my revival spell…"

"Revival Spell?" Faust asked, listening earnestly.

"My grandfather taught it to me. I am his heir. I was hoping, that if I could draw on the power of the spirits that have gathered here in Dobe Village, I can bring back someone…"

"Who, may I ask?"

"I lost someone…to Zeke eight years ago. I wanted to bring him back, but it requires a lot of power, blood and will to do it. The power is here. The King of Spirits granted me entrance to Dobe Village, knowing what I asked of him."

"So, you can bring someone back from the dead?"

"If it works right, then yes."

Faust ran over to her. "If you can accomplish it, do you think you could teach me the spell!"

She blinked a few times. "I…guess so."

"It would mean a lot."

"I can see that. That woman, she means a lot to you, doesn't she?"

"I did everything I could to save her, but in the end, she still died. Now there is a cure for the disease that killed her. I just want her back…"

"I can understand. You know, you have such mysterious, yet handsome eyes…" She took one of her hands from the water and reached up to his face. He watched her, slightly confused.

"It takes life to restore life. From what even science can tell us, blood is the life giving substance. If enough is given, it should amount to another life. Especially a powerful blood."

She reached down into the water and pulled up a scythe.

"What are you going to do!" Faust asked quickly.

"Were you not listening?"

"I was, but I still don't understand."

She sighed deeply and made a small slit on her the palm of her hand.

"I intend to allow my wounds to bleed enough for it to activate the spell. The perimeters have been set, the spirit is bound here and I have given up all I could for power. The rest is up to how much blood is needed."

"You can't do that." He took the scythe and threw it farther into the lake.

"What did you do that for!"

"You can't sacrifice yourself for this person. They wouldn't want that. You don't have any Furiyoku left. You could die!"

"An outsider is telling me what to do? I never asked you to be here."

"What happens if you can't bring this person back? Will you die for them?"

"I would have gladly died for him eight years ago. Unfortunately, the gods had other plans for me."

He placed a hand on her shoulder. "He wouldn't want that."

"What would you know!"

"I wouldn't want Eliza to give her life for me and I'm sure she wouldn't want me to give mine for her. There must be another way."

"I don't know of one!"

"Then there must be something you missed. My family is a long line of Necromancers. Perhaps I can find something in our library."

"Why? Why help me? Don't you have things to do?"

"Because we are after similar goals. I know how you feel, it hurts when you lose someone you care about, especially at the hands of something or someone else. Let's work together to do this. Maybe we can find something that one of us alone could not."

She sighed and turned from him. "…I should get back." However, as she went to take a step, her knees buckled and she collapsed. Faust caught her before she fell completely.

"You were desperate…" he lifted her worn down form into his arms and turned back to the shore. He stopped dead in his tracks.

A giant dragon stood there, its fangs bared and growling deeply. Its diamond-like claws dug into the ground as it stepped forward. Its golden hide shined brightly in the light that came from the King of Spirits.

The dragon's tail thrashed about angrily and its short neck bent down towards the two.

"Shikigami!" Anna called out.

The red and blue demons that had been bound to Zeke's Tome turned into respective colored lights and charged the dragon. It took flight and released a dark ball from its mouth to counter. They cancelled each other out.

"You okay, Faust?" Yoh asked.

"I'm fine."

Ryu pouted behind them. "How is it Faust can get all the girls but I can't get even one…?" He murmured.

The dragon landed and turned its fiery red eyes on the newcomers.

"Hey, Millennia, that's enough!" The dragon turned its head to a new voice. A young man of about 15 ran up. His hair was a glistening white and his eyes a deep blue.

"Sorry, that's maau's guardian ghost. She's a little protective of her sometimes. I guess she must have tried the Revival Spell again, huh?"

"You know of it?"

"Yeah. She can't seem to get it right. She even used humans, but something just didn't add up right. I think it's because her heart isn't in it. Pinian, tell Koujad and Zashi that I've found her!"

A flaming bird flew up and landed on his shoulder. Its talons were a bright gold. It looked around with glowing green eyes before taking flight again, this time back towards the thoroughfare of Dobe Village.

"Millennia, you behave all right?"

The dragon snarled and laid down on the ground.

"Shall I take her back?" Faust asked, climbing out of the lake and up next to the boy.

"I think it would be best if you guys left and never spoke of this again. Women aren't supposed to show their skin to outsiders. It's punishable by death. Thank you for all your help." He bowed his head to Faust. "You should hurry up and go. Zashi and Koujad are pretty quick."

Faust nodded and laid her down next to her guardian ghost. He looked to the young man for a moment before following Yoh and the other shaman out of the area just before Pinian, Zashi and Koujad, the two men from before came in to take her home.

"What do you think you were doing!" Anna asked crossly.

Faust didn't reply.

"Did you think you could give some answers? We agreed that I would bring Eliza back once you've completed your tasks."

He kept his eyes on the ground.

"Are you listening!"

"…Yes, Miss Anna."

She stood. "I'm going to bed. You all should too. We have a lot of training to do in the morning."

She left the café for their hotel, leaving the Shamans behind.

"It's okay, Faust. No one was hurt." Eliza rubbed his back gently.

"I'm okay. Miss Anna's right though. We should head to bed." He pushed up from his seat and left for the hotel as well, Eliza sticking close to him.

"Man, I don't think he was expecting that." Trey muttered.

"Len! You have to train as well!" Jun scolded her younger brother.

"You too Trey!" Pilica took her brother by the ear.

"Ow! Okay! I'm going to bed!" Trey cried.

Len wavered under Jun's glare and the two Shaman fighters left, their spirits fighting to keep up with them.

"We should go to, eh, Ryu and Morty?" Yoh stretched.

Ryu gave a fake yawn and followed the others.

"Opacho, what is it?" Zeke asked, sitting on the Spirit of Fire's outstretched hand, looking bored.

"Who do you think our next opponent is, Master Zeke?" the small boy asked.

"I don't know, but they had better be worth my time."

"No one can stand against you Master Zeke! You're the best Shaman!"

"Let's see if my opponents and dear brother realize that soon as well."

TWO DAYS LATER

Faust, Yoh and Ryu sat on a bench, totally exhausted.

"Anna's pushing us really hard!" Ryu complained.

"Harder than Mikihisa?" Faust inquired.

"I don't know who's worse! The no Giant Spirit Control or Anna!" Yoh whined.

There was a beeping sound and their Oracle Bells went off.

"Who could we be fighting?" Ryu wondered.

"Team Pantheon…Do you know who that is?" Faust turned to his partners.

"No idea, but we'll find out tomorrow at noon!" Yoh said.

"We will be fighting Team Asakura, Lady Osai…"

The young woman narrowed her hers, thinking hard. "Team Asakura? Is that the team that—we should prepare for a fight. They have mastered Giant Spirit Control and have read Zeke's Tome."

"The gods will be with us, my Lady."

"Yes, I am sure they are Koujad."

Zashi entered, the young boy from the night before behind him.

"Are you sure you have recovered enough?" he asked.

"Yes, Zashi. Helios, you have trained hard these last few days, yes?"

"Yes I have maau!"

"Koujad, be ready."

"Yes, my Lady."

Helios and Koujad stood in front of Lady Osai, covered from head to toe in not white but black garments this time.

Yoh, Ryu and a reluctant Faust stood across from them, Silva being the referee for this fight.

"Remember, we don't want to hurt them, but we have to defend ourselves, Faust."

He nodded, Eliza at his side, watching him sadly.

"Begin!" Silva declared the battle had begun and the times prepared.

Ryu and Faust had already gone into Giant Spirit Control, waiting for their opponents to make a move.

"Emerge great one! I summon Osiris! Use me as your medium!" She shouted to the heavens.

The ground beneath released a fiery rage, the Shaman partners narrowly avoiding the explosion.

The hole had resealed itself, leaving an entirely new person standing before the opposing Shaman team.

Her hair had grown even longer and turned black, two small black horns sticking out from under her hair. Her eyes turned to a cold, piercing gold. Her black clothes had been shredded, a part of her shirt remained over her chest and her pants shredded. Across her once unblemished skin were several scars and black tattoos that turned out to be hieroglyphs. Two bands were on her thighs, apparently the only thing that hadn't changed.

She reached both of her hands down and they grew into scythes. "Millennia, wreak our revenge on the humans that sealed us away!"

The dragon appeared, it's hide shining brighter than before. It's red eyes glowed menacingly and turned their bloodthirsty gaze to Faust first.

"Pinian, merge with Millennia!" Helios called to the little phoenix perched on his shoulder. The little bird flew into the air and erupted into flames, increasing in size by fifty fold. It flew circles around the dragon until it too exploded into flames.

The new dragon's hide was covered by a wall of fire. It's eyes had turned yellow and it roared, the smell of sulfur heavy in the air.

"Millennion, Guardian over the Gates of Hell. My most loyal servant. End the life of this miserable human and move onto his friends."

Koujad remained in front of both the new Osai and Helios, a panther and a two-tailed fox serving as a shield against a possible assault.

Millennion charged Faust raising one of it's flaming claws to swipe at Eliza. She dodged and raised her syringe to defend.

"Eliza, finish this!" She raised her syringe and charged forward, attempting to stab it with her syringe.

"Millennion, Flames of Hell!"

Millennion stomped the ground with its mighty claws and caused a giant crack in the ground. It spread open and flames came shooting out.

Eliza attempted to dodge but flames shot out of the place she was heading, forcing her to change direction.

"All right! I'm going to get into this! Yamatano Orochi!" Ryu called.

Snake heads charged the dragon making it back off and stopping the explosions. Osai stepped out of her shielded spot and walked next to Millennion who kept its eyes on Faust and Eliza.

"A dreamer. You wish to revive one life without taking another. Equivalent Exchange. It's the basic rule for everything. In order to restore, you must take. I grow in power for every life I take. Soon, I will have enough power and with the help of the King of Spirits, I will rid the rest of the world of the weak humans and bring back the one who I have fought for my entire life. You are a strong opponent. Join my cause and you may have what you want. I know the Revival Spell. I know what it takes to bring back your dear Eliza. No mere Spirit Medium can do it. The gods will grant life to those who are loyal. I can help." She outstretched one of her hands.

Millennion backed down from Faust and turned to Yoh.

"Faust, don't listen to her! If we lose, you'll never get Eliza back!"

Faust watched her closely.

"You don't think he would, do you!" Morty turned to Mikihisa.

"If he wants it enough…"

Anna peered at the scene before them. _He wouldn't actually—would he?_

"He's letting her get to him!" Trey said through gritted teeth.

"He's too soft. He's grown too attached to his guardian ghost." Len shook his head.

"Well, whatever the reason, he's fallin' for it!" Jako said pointing to the scene.

"Master Zeke!" Opacho turned to Zeke who was grinning.

"Yes, I see that Opacho. Feeding off of his greatest desire. We are not so much different. That's why I spared her."

Opacho gave him a confused momentary look before turning back to the fight.

_Tell me, Osai. Can you overcome my dear brother or will your heart return before your "god" can finish the job?_

Faust landed next to the still giant Eliza. "You can do that?"

"Yes. You do trust me don't you? I've waited for you for so long…" She stepped closer to him. "Since Faust the first started to study Necromancy and came to me for training. I knew you would one day come along and do what he could not."

"What makes me so special?"

"Dear Faust, do you not realize what have set your ancestors apart from you? You have a reason besides greed! It takes a strong bond, will and unimaginable powers to succeed. You have all of the above…You're alone and misunderstood, much like I was. You can do it, you only have to take my hand."

He took a few steps closer. "You mean it? I can have Eliza back?"

"Sooner than you think."

Faust walked over to her and looked down at her. _I can stop. I don't have to fight anymore…_

Before either could make another move, Yoh used his double medium to break them apart.

"Faust! She's just getting into your head! She doesn't mean any of it!"

"Despicable creature! Panthor! Syaka! Go!" Koujad bellowed. The fox and panther leapt forward to attack Yoh but were swept aside with ease.

Helios fell to one knee. "I can't hold it anymore maau!"

Pinian and Millennia separated, the phoenix returning to its original size.

"Millennion…What is your decision?"

"You must realize that no one can do what you hope to. You want to harm others, but I'm sure he wouldn't want that. Why live on the blood of others? You are blinded by hatred and anger. You need peace. Eliza!"

Millennia realized its charge was in danger and blocked Eliza's assault.

"You cannot live without sacrifice! The weak must die so the strong can live! Millennia! Dark Showers!"

The dragon took flight and opened her mouth wide. A black ball formed in her mouth.

"You can't let that darkness win! It's only hate! Do you think that spirit will bring back the one you've worked so hard for? He wants you because you have power. If you want help, come with me. Miss Anna can help. She can give you what you want! No more fighting!"

Osai watched him, confusion coming to light on her face.

"Pinian! Dance of Flames!" Helios cried. The phoenix grew in size again and slashed at Faust several times with it's sharpened wings.

She dropped to her knees. _No more!_

"Faust has won." Mikihisa declared.

"What?" Trey raised an eyebrow.

"He has broken her spirit. She is confused and doubting herself. With the wasting away of her furiyoku there's no chance she can beat Yoh and the others."

"It seems we have a winner. I didn't think she could beat Yoh. I was actually hoping that he'd win." Zeke said to himself.

"Do you think she would join us, Master Zeke?" Opacho wondered.

"No, I doubt it. Remember, it wasn't her saying those things, it was that spirit. She's just an innocent girl who just happens to be a powerful medium."

The black markings slowly disappeared, the horns retreated, her hair returned to it's glistening white color and her eyes turned back to their handsome violet.

Faust knelt down beside her and lifted her head. "It's over."

Her eyes slid in and out of focus before she smiled. "It's finally over…"

Her eyes closed and she fell into his embrace.

"maau!" Helios ran over as Faust lifted her into his arms. "She's fine. Just resting."

Pinian landed on his partner's shoulder, looking quite fatigued.

Yoh sighed. _I guess I should be relieved his plan worked._

Ryu walked past Millennia who watched everyone wearily and stopped next to Faust. "It worked. You should be proud."

"Lady…" Koujad looked to the ground in defeat and left the arena.

"Arkea…" she lifted a hand and gently caressed Faust's cheek. "I've missed you…"

"maau, that's not dad." Helios replied bitterly.

"I tried so hard to protect everyone…maybe that's why I didn't make it there in time to save you."

Faust only smiled down at her and let her ramble.

"The gods, they abandoned us. They let Zeke run free and he destroyed what we had. I thought Osiris could help me. I am his Sage. I'm too weak, aren't I?"

"No. You were only looking for a solution."

"You always made up excuses for my mistakes. You wouldn't let me have faults. Probably because you knew I could never except it…or because you didn't want to hurt me."

"maau's rambling." Helios chuckled. "She's tired."

"You better have won!" Anna came into the arena and glared at Faust.

He looked over to Anna, then back at the girl he held. She shook her head and climbed out of his hold.

"You helped me…didn't you?"

Faust nodded.

"Come on. I need to sit down. Millennia. Go to sleep now."

The dragon roared and disappeared in a flash of lights.

"Thank you so much…I can't believe I allowed myself to be controlled by that god…I'm sorry."

Faust shook his head. "It's okay. You did what you thought would be a helpful thing."

"Thank you, but I don't want you to make excuses for me. I must accept that I messed up."

"You and I are a lot alike."

"I found that out a few nights ago."

"Miss Anna could help you, right?" Faust looked to Anna with hopeful eyes.

"I suppose so, but you'd have to work for it."

She shook her head. "No. It's best if I let him rest in peace. He deserves it. I shouldn't make him relive that moment."

Helios stared at his mother in shock, but his expression slowly reverted to a kind smile. "You're right, maau."

She stood. "Well, the whole Lady Ambassador thing is over. I'll be going back to Japan. There's someone I met there. He's a good guy. Thank you again Faust for everything you've done. I hope you and Eliza are reunited." She held out her hand for him to take.

He shook it and stood as well. "You be careful."

"You too. We'll meet again." She grinned. "By the way, my name's Helteage KaMiel. Look me up whenever you're in Japan!" She waved left the café. The wind picked up and the mighty dragon had returned. She and her son took flight on their guardians.

Eliza smiled. "I look forward to meeting her again."

"As do I, sweet Eliza."

Helteage: Well, I've never done a Shaman King fic before. Hope it turned out all right. I'm so ticked though! They just showed the Season Finale (where Lyserg abandons poor Chloe and gets his Arch Spirit)! Well, let me know how I did! R&R!

By the way, I know that's not exactly how the judgment ceremony of souls went, but that's how it works here. And Equivalent Exchange comes from Fullmetal Alchemist, which I don't own. Thank you!


End file.
